Best of Yesterday and Today

01/01/2005

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2001 Best of Yesterday and Today Celebration continues this Saturday with autograph sessions featuring a current great and an NFL legend. Hall of Famer John Mackey and Lions veteran Herman Moore will all be available to meet with fans and sign autographs. Each autograph session will take place in NFL Films Theater at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The autograph sessions are offered to visitors at no additional charge.

John Mackey, the second round pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1963, used his breakaway speed and tremendous strength to take the National Football League by storm in the 1960s. Mackey became the game’s prototype tight end and earned a reputation as long-distance threat. In 1966, he scored six touchdowns of over 50 yards.

Fast Fact: John Mackey served as the president of the NFL Players Association. So, when he was elected to the Hall of Fame he made the logical choice of choosing Jack Kemp as his presenter. Kemp had served as the president of the AFL Players Association.

In all, Mackey accumulated 331 catches for 5,236 yards and scored 38 touchdowns. John earned All-NFL honors three times and played in five Pro Bowls. Perhaps one of the most famous catches in Super Bowl history came when Mackey caught a deflected pass and turned the play into a 75-yard touchdown reception in the Colts’ Super Bowl V win over the Dallas Cowboys.

HERMAN MOORE - WIDE RECEIVER
1991-present Detroit Lions

No player in NFL history caught as many passes in a single season as Herman Moore did when he hauled in an incredible 123 balls for 1,686 yards, and a career high 14 touchdowns during the 1995 season. He followed up that magical season with 106 catches in 1996 and 104 receptions in 1997. By doing so, he became just the second player in NFL history to record three consecutive 100-catch seasons.

Fast Fact: On December 20, 1998, Moore became the fastest player in NFL history to record 600 career receptions. He reached the plateau in 118 games breaking Jerry Rice’s previous mark of 123 games.

The 10-year veteran holds nearly every career and season record for the Detroit Lions. Currently, Herman’s 666 career catches places him 15th on the NFL’s all-time receptions list. Before a knee injury sidelined him in 1999, Moore had put together a string of seven consecutive seasons with 50 or more catches.